General Manager

Key Appointments (UK) Ltd; Leeds; On-site; GBP 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A forward-thinking company in Leeds is seeking a General Manager for a maternity cover role, providing a unique opportunity for leadership across Marketing, HR, and Operations. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of management experience and be ready to lead a dynamic team in a creative environment. This position offers flexible working hours with a competitive salary.

Benefits

Flexible/hybrid working options

Health insurance

Collaborative and supportive team culture

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years experience in a management role.
• Experience in overseeing cross-functional teams.
• Confident communicator with strategic thinking.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Marketing team and ensure campaigns align with business goals.
• Coordinate projects across departments to align with company strategy.
• Manage HR processes including contracts and onboarding.

Skills

Leadership

Organisational Skills

Communication

Project Management

Commercial Understanding

Digital Tools Proficiency

Job description

We are looking to recruit a dynamic and highly organised General Manager on behalf of a forward-thinking, creative business based in Leeds.

This is a maternity cover role offering an excellent opportunity to step into a senior leadership position with responsibility across multiple business functions including Marketing, HR, Creative, and Operations.

As this is a pivotal role, we are looking for someone with at least 5 years experience in a management role and who can confidently manage cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment between strategic goals and day-to-day operations.

OVERVIEW

• Job Title: General Manager
• Salary: circa £45,000 (full-time or pro-rata for part-time)
• Contract: Fixed Term to cover maternity (approx. 12 months)
• Start Date: End of August / Beginning of September
• Working Hours: Ideally 4 days per week. Open to 25+ hours or full-time for the right candidate.

We are looking to recruit a dynamic and highly organised General Manager on behalf of a forward-thinking, creative business based in Leeds.

This is a maternity cover role offering an excellent opportunity to step into a senior leadership position with responsibility across multiple business functions including Marketing, HR, Creative, and Operations.

As this is a pivotal role, we are looking for someone with at least 5 years experience in a management role and who can confidently manage cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment between strategic goals and day-to-day operations.

OVERVIEW

• Job Title: General Manager
• Location: Armley, Leeds
• Salary: circa £45,000 (full-time or pro-rata for part-time)
• Contract: Fixed Term to cover maternity (approx. 12 months)
• Start Date: End of August / Beginning of September
• Working Hours: Ideally 4 days per week. Open to 25+ hours or full-time for the right candidate.

If you are commercially minded, people-focused, and enjoy bringing clarity and structure to varied workloads, this could be the perfect opportunity.


KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Marketing & Creative:

• Oversee the Marketing team and ensure campaigns are on-brand, aligned with business goals, and data-driven
• Manage and brief external creative/marketing freelancers
• Monitor marketing performance and report on insights and opportunities

Team & Project Management:

• Coordinate projects and briefs across departments, aligning team activity with company strategy
• Manage internal communications and reporting
• Organise team socials and manage staff perks and benefits
• Conduct regular 1:1s, lead appraisals, and support individual development plans

HR & Recruitment:

• Oversee HR admin processes such as, assisting with contracts, internal HR documentation, return-to-work procedures, pay reviews, and onboarding
• Liaise with external HR team regarding holidays, absence and sickness tracking
• Support recruitment activity including job ads and interview logistics
• Champion team wellbeing and internal culture

Operations & Systems:

• Work with Accounts to ensure accurate and timely payroll
• Maintain business platforms and processes (Podio, Shopify, internal systems)
• Oversee general office admin, process documentation, and compliance with CSR initiatives

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• Strong leadership background in operations, marketing, or team management - minimum 5 years
• Exceptional organisational skills with experience managing multi-department projects
• Confident communicator with strategic thinking and hands-on execution ability
• Comfortable working with digital tools and platforms (CMS, design, email marketing, etc.)
• Familiarity with HR processes including performance management and recruitment
• Solid commercial understanding and good design judgement

Desirable:

• Experience in a creative, e-commerce or product-led business (e.g. lifestyle, retail, design)
• Previous involvement in crowdfunding or product launches
• Analytical skills with the ability to interpret marketing and sales data
• A calm, motivating presence who enjoys coaching and supporting others

ABOUT THE COMPANY
Join an exciting and fast-growing business that designs, engineers, and brings to market innovative consumer products. With a focus on sustainability, functionality, and creativity, this company has grown into a thriving business with a global customer base. Their small but mighty team thrives on collaboration, problem-solving, and creating products that people genuinely love.


WHAT TO EXPECT

• A varied, hands-on leadership role within a creative and purpose-led company
• A collaborative, supportive team culture
• Flexible/hybrid working options
• Health insurance
• The opportunity to make a real impact during a key stage of business growth
• This role is ideally suited to someone working four days per week, but we are happy to consider applications from those looking for 25+ hours or full-time.

Apply now to find out more about this exciting opportunity.


Key Appointments UK Ltd will assess your suitability for the role based on the information contained in your CV and application. This includes skills, experience, education, and location.

By applying for this role, you give consent for your CV to be processes by Key Appointments for recruitment purposes. Our full Privacy Policy is available at key-appointments

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